


Picking Up A Stray

by ericsonclan



Series: OG World [46]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: As the Deliverance is combing an abandoned area, Francesca comes across a lone traveler who piques her interest.
Series: OG World [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815361
Kudos: 6





	Picking Up A Stray

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)

“Scan the area,” Francesca directed, making her way through the crumbled wreckage that blocked their path. “Report to me on whatever you find,”

The members of her crew dispersed, keeping a lookout for anything that might be of worth, weapons drawn in case of any potential danger. Most of the debris was old, already picked through or spoiled. Still, it never hurt to look when they had to make their way through it anyway.

As he neared one of the abandoned and stripped cars, Tyrone thought he noticed something under one. Was it a foot? Most likely it was a corpse, but you could never discount the possibility of a walker. He knelt down beside the vehicle to look underneath. 

Whatever it was leapt out at him with a scream. Tyrone reached for his gun, but before he knew it his weapon had been swatted out of his hand and a knife was placed against his throat. “Don’t…. move.” The assailant hissed, pressing the side of the blade across his windpipe. One flick of the wrist and he was a goner.

“I’d let my man go if I were you,” Francesca’s tone was even as she stood in front of the pair.

“And lose my cover? I don’t think so,” The voice behind him sounded young, female. “I’m going to back away slowly, and you’re going to let me. Your man will be let go once I see fit. Then neither of us will ever see each other again,”

“A sound tactic. You could do that… or you could tell me your name,”

“What’s it to you?”

“Because I don’t make it a habit to shoot people who show so much promise. I recruit them,”

Tyrone could sense that the girl was considering her options. “She’s telling the truth you know. When I first met Fran she didn’t know me from Adam and-”

“Now’s not the time to be talking, Tyrone,” Francesca warned. “This young woman and I were having a conversation. And don’t call me Fran,”

“Yes, ma’am,”

Francesca took a step forward, but stopped when the girl’s grip on the blade tightened. “We’ll start simple. My name’s Francesca. And yours?”

“…Prisha,”

“You out here on your own, Prisha?”

“I think you know the answer to that,”

“I’m guessing it wasn’t always that way. What happened to your group?”

“What do you think?” the girl spat.

Something rustled on the ground. Another member of Francesca’s crew had tried to circle round behind the girl. Prisha drew back, twisting her blade. It cut into the side of Tyrone’s throat, causing him to let out a distressed whimper.

Francesca raised her hand, signaling for all members to fall back. Then she removed the bow from her back, letting it fall to the ground. Next went her guns, tossed to the side. The hunting knife on her belt. The shiv in her boot. Lifting her hands, she slowly walked towards Prisha. “I’m unarmed now. No secrets, no tricks,”

“There’s always another knife,”

“Smart girl. Tell me, what would it take to convince you to join us?”

“Nothing, since I don’t intend to,”

Francesca shook her head. “No one can survive for long on their own. Forget the logistics of it all; no one can live on their own. Humans need companionship. It might as well be us,”

“And what makes you say that?” Prisha snarled.

“For one, I’m rewarding your behavior rather than trying to put a bullet between your eyes. I know survival instincts when I see them. A girl like you on my crew… you’d be amazed what we can accomplish,” Francesca signaled for the others to drop their weapons as well. Reluctantly, they let them fall, all standing still as they watched the girl’s knife tremble against Tyrone’s throat. 

Finally it fell, and Prisha stepped back from her former prisoner, meeting the crew member’s eyes with a hooded glare.

“Wonderful,” Francesca picked up her bow and walked forward, handing the weapon to Prisha. “You a good shot?”

“When I need to be,”

“Cryptic as ever. I like a girl who knows when to hold her tongue,” Francesca began to walk forward. “We’re headed back to camp. I’ll debrief you once we’re there,”

The girl was still for a moment, but her footsteps soon caught up to her new leader’s, a fact Francesca noted with a hidden smile. The group continued to walk in silence, scouting for any danger. Tyrone brought up the rear, cowed into silence by his brush with death. Francesca could tell that the new girl wanted to ask her something, but was remaining silent as well.

“If you have a question, Prisha, ask,”

“Your hair… it’s not short,”

“Neither is yours,”

“Most hair is short these days,”

“That’s true,”

“Or at least drawn back,”

Francesca glanced down at her own shoulders. Her hair cascaded down both sides in a mass of untamed curls. “It certainly isn’t an ‘apocalypse chic’ look. But that doesn’t matter. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“The reason people cut their hair is because they’re afraid. Afraid that something or someone will grab them and kill them. That fear goes away when you realize the solution: kill anything that tries to touch you. If they can’t reach you, then you retain the power. And with power, you can do whatever the hell you want,”

“There’s no way that works every time,”

“Maybe. But my methods haven’t failed me thus far. They got me you, now didn’t they?”

Prisha didn’t have a retort for that.

Francesca chuckled. “Wait and see, Prisha. Spend enough time with us, and I’m sure you’ll come around to seeing things the same way. You’re part of the Deliverance now and always will be,”

“Nothing lasts forever,”

“We’ll just see about that. Now let’s get you home. I’m hungry, and I’m sure you’re starving,”

She didn’t deny it.

What an intriguing stray she’d managed to pick up. Francesca couldn’t wait to see what would become of her latest acquisition.


End file.
